One Hot Christmas. Katherine Garbera

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СКАЧАТЬ you copy this design from somewhere? Is that why you don’t feel like an artist?”

      “No, I made it up.”

      “There you go. This is original art. It happens to be on a working saddle instead of on the wall of a museum, but personally, I like the idea of art in everyday life. Useful art. You took something that serves a function and made it beautiful. Like Grecian urns. They were made to be used, but that didn’t keep the potters from decorating them with amazing pictures and turning them into works of art we study today.”

      “I guess.”

      “Listen to a history professor. If Sarah takes good care of it and passes it down, it could someday end up in a museum as an example of Western art.”

      “I think that’s going a little far.” Even though the barn was very cold, he was growing warmer by the minute. No one had ever said such things to him. He didn’t believe a word of it, but that didn’t mean he didn’t like hearing it. “I’ve never studied art, really. I took an art class in high school because it was an easy A, but that doesn’t mean—”

      “Be quiet, Ben.” She caressed the saddle one last time and turned back to him, the light moving with her. “Where are you? Oh, I see you.” She walked over to him until she was standing inches away. “What was that you said when we were inside? That you liked me?”

      “I said, that, yeah.”

      “And I asked you to elaborate. Would you care to do that now?” She kept the light trained on the floor.

      That meant she was still mostly in shadow, and she was still bundled up like someone about to ski the Alps. But he sensed something in the air, a yearning that matched his own. “Instead of trying to explain it,” he said, “maybe I should show you.”

      “Show me how?”

      “Like this.” Tossing his hat onto the saddle horn, he gathered her into his arms. She squeaked in surprise, but when he located her mouth, her squeak turned into a sigh. Oh, yeah. She wanted this as much as he did.

       6

      AT FIRST BEN’S lips were cold, but Molly’s weren’t. She’d had them covered with a scarf. Warming his lips took no time at all. After the first shock of discovering he was going to kiss her, she threw herself into the experience with abandon.

      Rising to her toes, she wound her arms around his neck and gave it all she had. So did he, and oh, my goodness. A harmonica player knew what it was all about. She’d never kissed one before, but she hoped to be doing a lot more of this with Ben.

      Although she’d never thought of a kiss as being creative, this one was. He caressed her lips so well and so thoroughly that she forgot the cold and the late hour. She forgot they were standing in a cavernous tractor barn surrounded by heavy equipment.

      She even forgot that she wasn’t in the habit of kissing men she’d known for mere hours. Come to think of it, she’d never done that. But everything about this kiss, from his coffee-and-dessert-flavored taste to his talented tongue, felt perfect.

      As far as she was concerned, the kiss could go on forever. Well, maybe not. The longer they kissed, the heavier they breathed. His hot mouth was making her light-headed in more ways than one.

      That was her excuse for dropping her phone on the concrete floor. It hit with a sickening crack, but in her current aroused state, she didn’t really care.

      Ben pulled back, though, and gulped for air. “I think that was your phone.”

      “I think so, too.” She dragged in a couple of quick breaths. “Kiss me some more.”

      With a soft groan, he lowered his head and settled his mouth over hers. This time he took the kiss deeper and invested it with a meaning she understood quite well. Intellectually she was shocked, but physically she was completely on board. The stroke of his tongue delivered a message, one she received with a rush of moisture that dampened her panties.

      This time when he eased away from her, she was trembling. Like a swimmer breaking the surface, she gasped. Then she clutched his head and urged him back down. She wanted him to kiss her until the voice of caution stopped yelling at her that it was too soon to feel like this about him. “More.”

      He resisted, but he was panting and obviously as hot as she was. “This is crazy. I think we broke your phone. The light’s out.”

      “We don’t need light.”

      “That’s not the point.”

      “Yes, it is. Come back here and do what you were doing some more. I really like it.”

      His chuckle was a little strained. “Me, too.” Apparently he had both a strong will and a strong neck, because he held himself away from her. “But I can do a better job of it in a warm house, plus then we can check out your phone.”

      “I don’t care about the damned phone.” She sighed. “Which is a measure of how you affect me if I’m unconcerned about my techie toy.”

      “I’m flattered.”

      “I hope you’re also turned on.”

      “That, too.” He sounded amused.

      “You realize the minute we step out into that Arctic air we’ll lose momentum.” And she’d begin to question the wisdom of sleeping with him. She just knew it.

      His gloved hand brushed her cheek. “Speak for yourself. The way I’m feeling right now, I could make love to you on an ice floe.”

      She shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with picturing them naked and going for it on any available flat surface. Oh, boy. She was actually considering having sex with a guy she’d just met.

      As the power of his kisses faded a little, her conscience resumed its tedious lecture about her wanton behavior. She tried not to listen, but it was no use. “Maybe we should lose momentum.” She said it with regret, but her conscience applauded. “How long have we known each other?”

      He was silent for a moment. “Yeah, you’re right. For the record, I don’t ordinarily move this fast.”

      “I never move this fast. I go through the normal steps—coffee date, lunch date, dinner date.” More smug applause from her conscience.

      “So we skipped a couple of steps.”

      “It’s not just the steps.” Her conscience was in full control, now. “It’s the time between the steps, when you talk on the phone with someone, when you have moments to contemplate them when they’re not around, when you begin to miss them if you don’t see them for a couple of days.”

      He took a shaky breath. “I know you’re right, but we don’t have that kind of time. You’ll be gone in a few days.”

      She noticed he still hadn’t let go of her. She could wiggle out of his arms, but she didn’t want to do that. “You make a valid point.” Take that, conscience! “I’ve never met anyone special when I was on vacation. My dating steps work great in Prescott, but СКАЧАТЬ